


Rose's Choice

by yearn4themoon



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance, Rose's Choice, Suspense, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-09-11
Packaged: 2017-12-24 21:41:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yearn4themoon/pseuds/yearn4themoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Do you remember the episode Amy's Choice? Well- this is Rose’s Choice, with bonus Tentoo! ;) This is completely and totally AU. </p>
<p>Disclaimer: Any dialogue that you recognize comes from the episode Amy’s Choice. I do not own Doctor Who in any way shape or form, and this is just for fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I re-watched Amy’s Choice a few weeks ago, and was compelled to write this. I don’t know if anyone has done anything like this yet fic-wise, so I figured I would. For the most part- this fic is done. It just needs editing. The updates should happen pretty regularly. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Oh- and I went ahead and marked it explicit because you never know when smut may strike....or if it will- But this chapter is very PG.

It was a bright and sunny morning as it usually was, in Rose and the Doctor’s little village they had recently moved to. With the baby coming, the Doctor whisked Rose away from London, telling her in no uncertain terms, that this baby was not going to come into the world with parents that worked for Torchwood and were in danger on a daily basis. The Doctor only had one life now. And now that there was a baby to think about- well…that changed everything. Rose, thinking he had finally lost his mind, reluctantly agreed. When he showed her the big house that he had bought for them, (with carpets!), and how excitedly he talked about the nursery, she realized, he had been wanting all this domesticity for so very long. He would go on and on about everything that he was going to work on in his free time now that he was a proper Doctor and no longer a Torchwood agent. All his little pet projects he always wanted to do but never got the chance. It surprised Rose how much he was ready for this life. It was such a 180 from what they were used to. It sort of threw her for a loop. But Rose settled in to the quiet life quite nicely. She had even taught herself to bake. That was exactly what Rose was doing when a labor pain hit her, and hard. Rose cried out loudly, almost dropping the batter bowl she was holding. She took in several deep breaths before another cramp ripped across her growing stomach.

“DOCTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!” Rose shrieked.

Luckily, the Doctor was arriving on their street, and heard her cry out for him. He pedaled as fast as his skinny legs could muster. When he arrived at their home, he jumped off the bike and ran for the door, leaving the bike on the dirt road out front. The Doctor bolted for the door, throwing it wide open, and searched his home in a very panicked state until he found his wife….sitting on the sofa….eating cake batter. Perfectly content.

“False alarm,” Rose said through a mouthful of batter.

“What?!?” the Doctor replied as Rose shoved the spoon in his mouth.

“I don’t know what it feels like. I’ve never had a baby before.” Rose gave him another spoonful of the batter. She gave him her best smile, the tongue in teeth one he loved so much, and he couldn’t be angry at her for scaring him. After all, she didn’t really know what to expect.

The Doctor pulled himself to his feet, and Rose laid the batter bowl on the coffee table.

“Give us a hand, will ya?” she asked. As he helped pull her to her feet, the most wonderful sound in the universe filled both their ears. It was the TARDIS. Rose looked out the window, and sure enough, there was the magical blue box they both thought they would never see again, parked right in the garden.

**

The Doctor opened the door of the TARDIS, and stepped out, only to realize he had squished someone’s flower bed. He looked around, and saw a rather large home in front of him. He looked up, there were zeppelins in the sky. When he looked towards the house again, he saw his former self. Well…his former part human self. Which meant only one thing. He would be seeing Rose again. His hearts skipped a beat at the thought, but he didn’t dwell on it, and instead greeted his counterpart.

“Doctor!” he cried joyfully, as the Doctor in pinstripes came to greet him.

“Doctor!” The part human him returned with the same enthusiasm as he came to shake his hand.

“I crushed your flowers. Sorry about that.”

“You regenerated. Sorry about that.”

“Where’s Rose?” The Doctor inquired, looking over his part human self’s shoulder and inside the dwelling.

“She’ll be a bit.”

“Take your time Rose! I only crossed universes to see you!” He yelled teasingly towards the house.

“I’m coming!” Rose shouted back as she waddled down the front steps.

“Heeeeeeeeeey!” The Doctor exclaimed, holding his arms out wide as he took in all the physical changes of one Rose Marion Tyler.

Rose giggled as she crossed the yard to meet him. “Hey yourself.”

“You swallowed a planet!”

“You changed your face!”

“You’re HUGE!” The Doctor exclaimed as his hands gravitated towards Rose’s growing belly.

“I’m pregnant, Doctor,” Rose giggled.

“But you’re huge!”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Just look at you!” He looked over at his part human self and waggled his eyebrows. “Well done you,” the Doctor congratulated him before the two Doctor’s high-fived as Rose feigned being put out by their display of macho-ism. The Doctor then pulled Rose into a hug. She still smelled the same even after all these years. It had been 100 years since he had last seen her, and he remembered the way she smelled as if he had been in her presence yesterday. Of course there was a bit more hormones in the mix, but that was to be expected in her current condition. He kissed her forehead, before pressing his own against it.“It’s so good to see you again,” he whispered to her, before pulling back and turning towards the other Doctor. “It’s good to see both of you again. And you haven’t changed a bit Rose Tyler…except in age and size.”

“Oi!” Rose said as she smacked him on the shoulder.

“Are you pregnant?” The Doctor asked jokingly.

“I like this one. He’s a joker.” Rose said to her part human Doctor as she pointed at the full Time Lord. Rose then grabbed this New-New-New Doctor’s hand and led him towards the house, and the three went inside for some cake.

**

Much later, after some catching up, the three walked down the lane towards the little village the Doctor and Rose lived in.

The town might be small, but even a small town shouldn’t be this quiet. It unnerved the visiting Doctor. “Where is everyone?” he asked

“This is busy,” Rose replied. The Doctor looked around, turning, still seeing no one. “Ok…it’s quiet. But it’s really restful, and healthy. People live well into their nineties here. You picked it out yourself.

“I did?” The Doctor looked at his part human counterpart with a raised eyebrow.

“Well…I wanted a safe place for the baby to grow up in. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

The three sat on a bench so Rose could have a rest. The full Time Lord sat in between Rose, and himself.

“You’re a proper Doctor now? With patients? Doesn’t that get boring?” The Doctor asked his other self.

“Not at all,” the other Doctor answered. “I find the slow path,” he looked at Rose then, “quite exhilarating.”   
  
Rose blushed bright red, and looked away. As she did, she yawned. “So…um…Doctor…what’s with the visit?” The Doctor looked at her so fast she thought he might have given himself whiplash.

“I told you I wouldn’t abandon you. Not you.” His voice was tender as he spoke to her, but like flipping a light switch he ignored the actual reason for the question and asked another.“So what do you do for fun around here? To stave of the…you know…

“Boredom?” Rose finished.

The Doctor cleared his throat, and looked towards his part human self.

“We relax…” The part human Doctor said, yawning. “We listen to the birds…” And as soon as he said the words birds started singing near them.

“Birds are nice,” Rose told them, yawning once more.

“Never got a chance to stop and listen to the birds when we were on the TARDIS, did we Doctor?” His human self yawned again as soon as he stopped talking.

Suddenly, the Time Lord’s head began to pound. “Blimey, my head…” He rubbed his forehead. “You’re right,” he told the two lovers, “there wasn’t any time for listening to the birds on the TARDIS…”   
  
The three then nodded off on the bench.

**

When the Doctor woke up, he was on the TARDIS.  _What a strange dream,_ he thought. But as he stood up and walked towards the console, there was Rose. And she was most definitely not pregnant.

“Sorry….what?” he asked her, but she kept looking at him like he had grown two heads. “I had a terrible nightmare about you. That was scary. Don’t ask. You don’t want to know.”

The Doctor pulled a still confused Rose in for a hug.

“Oh ok…” she said as this impossibly ganglier version of the Doctor continued babbling.

“Don’t worry. Safe now. That’s what counts.” The Doctor snapped his fingers as he crossed back to the console. “Blimey, Never dropped off like that before. Well…never really. I’m getting on a bit you see? Don’t let the cool gear fool you. Now- what’s wrong with the console…red flashing lights. That’s got to mean something.”

“Doctor…”

“Yes, Rose?”

“I also had a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“I was pregnant. And…wait…” Rose turned and looked around the TARDIS. “There was two of you!”

“Was it the old me Rose?”

“Yes, but you were part human, and we were living together! In a house! With CARPETS!”

“So we had exactly the same dream then.”

“But…it felt so real Doctor.”

He reached for her then, taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers like always. It felt like it was the first time he had held her hand in this body, but certainly it couldn’t be.

“It wasn’t real, Rose.”

“But we were married….well he and I were ma-”

“We had some sort of psychic episode Rose. We probably just dropped a time track or something. Forget it. We’re back to reality now.”

She would have believed him, if it had not been for the singing birds returning. The Doctor pulled Rose close and held on to her. “Doctor, if we’re back to reality,” she whispered, “how come I can still hear birds? They’re the same birds as the ones we heard in the-”

**

“Dream.” Pregnant Rose finished as she opened her eyes. They were back on the bench. “Sorry. Must have nodded off.”

The Doctor gasped as he woke and jumped up. Rose looked over towards the part human Doctor. He seemed to have been asleep too, but he was now suddenly awake and just as confused as she and the Doctor were.

Rose looked back at the full Time Lord. “Doctor.. I was dreaming we were back on the TARDIS.” The half human Doctor took her hand and helped her up from the bench as the full Time Lord picked up a pebble from the ground and looked at it very closely seemingly ignoring what she was saying. “You just had the same dream, didn’t you? We were just talking about how this was a dream.” Rose pressed.

“What are you on about Rose?” The part human Doctor asked. “We just nodded off, that’s all.”

“All three of us? At the same time? And why didn’t you dream the same dream as us? Why weren’t you there?”

The Doctor turned to the two then. “Exactly. Why weren’t you there? Hmmmm… Curiouser and curiouser….”

“What did you do now?” His part human self asked.

“Is this some Timelordy thing.. because you showed up again?” Rose asked at the same time.

“Listen to me,” the Time Lord said ominously. “From now on trust nothing. Don’t trust anything you see, hear, or feel.”

Rose reached for her Doctor’s hand at his words, and glanced down at their entwined fingers.  _He is real,_ she thought.  _This baby is real too. I can feel it. This can’t be a dream. Can it?_

“But we’re all awake now. And we’re all here…an-” the part human Doctor started as pulled Rose close to him.

“We were awake on the TARDIS too.” The Time Lord finished.

“But we’re  _home.”_ Rose stated looking up into the eyes of her own Doctor, and seeing concern and a hint of fear there. Her attention was soon back on the other Doctor, as he started to speak again.

“Yeah, you’re home…you’re also dreaming. But which one is which? Hold on tight, Rose Tyler. This is gonna be a tricky one.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get even more confusing in Leadworth and in the TARDIS. The Dream Lord shows his face, and lets them in on his little evil game.

The TARDIS was groaning and shaking the next time Rose and the Doctor “woke up”.

“OH! I don't like this!” he cried as he tried to subdue his ship by kicking it. “Ow!” he exclaimed hopping on the injured foot. “Never use force...you'll just embarrass yourself.”

“Should I go and get the manual?” Rose asked.

The Doctor quit jumping and looked at her like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Ithrewitin toasupernova.”

Rose sighed. “Of course you did.” She began to follow the Doctor down underneath the console as she kept talking. “Is whatever is wrong with the TARDIS why we are dreaming?

“How do you know that one was the dream Rose?”

“We were in Leadworth.”

“And we could still be in Leadworth right now- dreaming of this!”

“No....this one is real. I'm definitely awake.”

“And you thought you were definitely awake when you were all-” He blew his cheeks out and held his arms wide.   
  
“I. Was. PREGNANT.”

“You could be giving birth right now, Rose. This could be the dream. I told you to trust nothing. Don't trust anything you see, hear, or-” The Doctor was shut up by the lips of Rose Tyler. The wonderfully warm lips of Rose Marion Tyler. He responded in kind by pulling her in as close to him as possible and wrapping his arms around her slim waist. Her hands went into his newly floppy hair, and she tugged on it, as her tongue found its way into his mouth. Suddenly, he was pushing her backwards. Straight towards a wall. He only broke away from her long enough to murmur “feel” against the side of her neck before sucking on her pulse point there. He grabbed at her hands and pressed them up above her head, against the wall. Rose moaned, and pushed her hips forward into his own. His lips found hers again and their tongues explored more frantically. A moan escaped the Doctor's own throat as Rose freed her hands from his grip and cupped him. The action, woke him up from his daze and made him remember that they needed to be...well...not doing this...right at the moment. “Raincheck?” he breathed out, and reluctantly removed her hand from where it was placed. Rose nodded, as she licked her lips. That did not help his quest- so backed away from her completely and turned in the opposite direction picking up the first tool he saw. “We need to examine everything. We need to look at all the details that don't ring true.”

“Well I am in a spaceship that's bigger on the inside with a bow tie wearing alien...”

“Ha. Ha....”

They grabbed the rest of the tools and headed back upstairs to the console.

Rose continued her thought. “But really though...it's like I remember you. This you. But you also seem new at the same time. Does that make sense?”

“It makes less sense than you snogging the life out of a certain bow tie wearing alien a moment ago.”

“So it is strange?” She prodded as she handed him a spanner.

“I feel like...I haven't seen you in a long time. But you've also been right here with me.”

At that moment, the TARDIS made a noise neither of them had heard before, and everything went dark. The only light in the entire ship was coming from the time rotor. It was eerie. Rose and the Doctor looked up, and he dropped the tool he was holding. Rose, feeling scared, reached out for him, at the same time, he had reached out for her.

“She's dead,” he whispered.

“What?”

His grip on her hand tightened. “We're in a dead time machine.”

And then the birds started singing again.

“She can't be dead. Can she? Doctor?” Rose asked, beginning to panic. But he ignored her. He spoke quickly.

“When we wake up in the other place Rose, remember how real this feels.” He tugged her to him, holding her close so she didn't see the fear in his eyes.

“It _is_ real. I know it's real,” she replied bravely, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

**

 

Rose opened her eyes to a full view of her enormous pregnant belly. “Nope. This is the real one,” she said as she rubbed her belly. “Definitely this one.”

“What do you mean Rose? Of course it's real!” Her husband exclaimed.

The Doctor was now waving his hand around at thin air. “It felt real in the TARDIS too. You can't spot a dream while you're having one. I'm looking for a motion blur. It's possible this could be a computer simulation...” He tugged on his younger self's face. “Probably not..”

“Oi!” The part human Doctor cried but his frown turned into a smile as a little old lady passed them. He nodded and waved at her as she passed, and she waved back.

“You're a Doctor now,” The Time Lord stated as he pointed at his younger self. “A proper one.”

“Yes,” he said annoyed as he batted the other Doctor's hand away. “And unlike you, I've actually passed my exams.”

“Oi!” the Doctor shouted, pointing at him again.

“Oi!” The human doctor batted his hand away again.

“OI! Both of you! Stop it!” The two Doctor's turned and looked at one highly annoyed and still very pregnant Rose Tyler.

“Sorry.” They both said at the same time.

“Doctor, you were saying?” Rose asked. But both Doctor's started talking again at the same time a mile a minute. “Stop, stop, stop!” Rose cried. “Blimey! You two! Ok- you,” She pointed to the full Time Lord, “you are going to be Doctor One. And you,” she pointed to her husband, “Are Doctor Two.”

“Technically...I'm Doctor Eleven.” The Doctor answered.

“And I'm Ten. Well....Not reeeeeally since I'm part human. More of Ten And A Half....or Ten Point Five you could say.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Fine. You're Ten. And you're Eleven. Moving on! Now, Eleven- you were saying?”

“This could be your dream,” he said turning to Ten. “How interesting, your dream wife, your dream baby...maybe this is your dream!”

“It's Rose's dream too! Isn't it Rose? Rose?” Ten turned to look at his wife.

“Yes. Sure. Of course!” But the wide eyed look on her face as she answered did not convince Eleven.

“What's this?” Eleven asked, pointing to the building directly behind him.

“It's an old people's home,” Rose answered.

The Doctor turned and stared at the building, as faces started peeking out the windows at them.“You said everyone here lives to their nineties, but something doesn't make sense....Let's go poke it with a stick.”

The two Doctors grinned manically at each other before running off, leaving Rose behind. She called out to them,

“Hey! You two! Can we not do the running thing?”

 

**

 

The two Doctors, with Rose waddling far behind, entered the day room of the retirement facility. Both Doctor's rubbed their hands together, and wanted to get down to business right away, but the Tenth version was spotted, and called over.

“Oh hello Doctor Mott.” The sweet old woman greeted him as she was knitting a sweater.

Eleven smiled and looked at his younger self, “Doctor Mott. I like it.”

“Well, Wilf is kind of my granddad now too...figured it was a nice way to commemorate him and all. Hello Mrs. Pocket, how's your hip?”

“A bit stiff. Who's your friend? A junior doctor?”

Ten stifled his urge to laugh hysterically. “Yes. You could say that.”

“Can I borrow you? You look to be the size of my grandson.” She waved Eleven over, and he obliged and knelt down as she shoved a thick jumper over his head.

“I'm keen to move on. Freak Phychic Schism Disorder.” He grabbed the woman by the shoulders and she leaned far back in her chair. “You're incredibly old aren't you?” His words got the attention of every other senior in the Day Room, and they all turned his way, staring. Suddenly the birds began their chirpy little tune again, and it wasn't long before all three were on the floor unconscious.

 

**

 

“I hate this Doctor. We have to stop it. Because this is definitely real!” Rose insisted, as her and the Doctor woke by the console. “I keep saying that don't I? It's bloody cold too.” She shivered and snuggled up to the Doctor.

“The heating's off.”

“I'm going to go get a jumper. Sorry about Mrs. Pocket by the way, the Doctor is always going on about her.”

The Doctor took Rose by the shoulders. “Don't believe her nice old lady act if I were you,” he said as he spun around looking for something in the TARDIS. “Everything's off. Sensors, core power....we're drifting. The Doctor turned back to the console, “The scanner's down so we can't even see out. We could be anywhere! Somewhere, some _thing_ is over riding my controls!”

“Well that took long enough.”

The Doctor and Rose spun on their heels in the direction of the voice Rose shifted over closer to the Doctor, as they gazed upon a man. A man that appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but was now at the top of the stairs in the console room. He was short in stature, with a stripy shirt, bow tie, and tweed blazer like the Doctor, and this man was now moving towards them. The Doctor put his arm around Rose and pulled her close as the man continued to speak,

“Honestly, I heard such good things! Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm, even the bow tie...” the man chuckled to himself as he walked towards them.

“How did you get in my TARDIS? Who are you?”

Well....if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord.”

The Doctor pulled a rubber ball out of his blazer pocket and threw it through the Dream Lord. He was a hologram.

“Interesting, I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord...it's in the name isn't it? Spooky. Not quite there...” The Dream Lord disappeared only to reappear further away making Rose gasp and cling to the Doctor. “But yet very much here.”

“I'll do the talking, thank you,” the Doctor challenged. “Rose, why don't you take a guess as to what that is?”

“Ummm...Dream Lord. He creates dreams?”

The Doctor helped her finish her thought. “Dreams...delusions... _cheap tricks.”_

“Have you chosen your Doctor yet Rose?” the Dream Lord inquired.  
  
“What do you mean?”

“This one is a little bit too Professor-Meets-Giraffe...but the other one- now he's a real catch. I've seen your dreams Rose Tyler, some of them twice. Blimey, I'd blush.”

“Why you little....”Rose started toward him, but the Doctor held her back.

The Dream Lord laughed at her. “Where was I?” He disappeared and reappeared in the alcove above. “Oh yes...So...here's your challenge. Two Worlds. Here, in the time machine. And there, in the village time forgot. One is real, the other is fake. And just to make it fun- in both worlds you get to face a deadly danger! But only one of the dangers is real. Tweet Tweet! Time to sleep!” The birds began chirping again. “Or....are you waking up?”

 


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tentoo, Eleven, and Rose continue trying to figure out the Dream Lord's game. But things are weird between Rose and the Eleventh Doctor...and the two succumb to some...unfinished business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected smut occurred. Not even sorry. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and leaving kudos! I really appreciate it!

When the three friends woke again, they were still in the day room of the retirement home.

“This is bad. This is very very bad. Look at this X-ray. Your brain is completely see through! But then again, I've always been able to see through you, Doctor. ” The Dream Lord shoved the X-ray in Eleven's face.

“Who is that?” Ten practically shouted.

Rose patted her husband's arm. “Shhh....it's the Dream Lord”

“The What-lord? Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Oh look we have the prettier-but-not-so-clever-because-he's-part-human-now-Doctor. Hello there.”

Ten's mouth dropped open. “Oi! I may not be a full Time Lord anymore but I am just as clever as one thankyouverymuch.”

“Doctor,” Rose whispered, “Your Donna is showing.” He tried to be offended by her remark, but she was smiling so lovingly at him, any anger he felt melted away.

“Anyway....the prognosis is this- If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality.”

“What happens?” Rose asked.

“You die. That's why it's called reality.”

“Have you met the Doctor before? Do you know him?” Rose pressed on, ignoring his asshattery and turning to Eleven. “Doctor, does he?”

“Don't get jealous. He's been around, our boy. Remember Sarah Jane? She wasn't the only one. There's been way more. A dozen. Maybe more. But never-mind that, you have a world to choose. One reality was always too much for you Rose Tyler. Take two and call me in the morning.” With that the Dream Lord disappeared.

“I don't like him.” Ten grumbled.

Rose got in Eleven's face. “Who is he?”

“I. Don't. _Know,_ ” he said rudely. “It's a big universe.”

Rose turned away, throwing her arms in the air before turning around again to face him. “Then why is he doing this? And why do I have to choose? What did I do?”

“You loved me.” Eleven said simply.

“So? I bet plenty of your companions loved you.”

His answer was quiet almost whispered. “But you were the first one I loved back.”

Rose looked from her husband to the Doctor and back again. Tears prickled in her eyes, and before she could stop them the tears began to fall.

“Now you've done it.” Ten said to Eleven, as he crossed the room to comfort Rose.  
  
“I didn't do anything!”

“You told your very pregnant companion that you loved her. YOU. Told her. You have the worst timing you know?”

“And yours is any better?”

“I got the girl didn't I?”

“Touche'....Well, in this reality you did at least. Maybe he's doing this because he has no physical form, that gets you down after awhile. Maybe he's taking it out on folk like us, those of us who can touch and eat...” The Doctor blushed and cleared his throat, as he thought about what happened in the TARDIS earlier. “and feel.”

Rose's tears had subsided, and now she was just sniffling a bit. “What did he mean about the deadly danger?”

“A deadly _what_?” said Ten, but Eleven wasn't paying attention to either of them again, and instead was spinning around in a slow circle.

“They're gone. They've all gone.” He said, and bolted from the room, with Ten hot on his heels.

“Don't mind the pregnant woman!' Rose yelled after them, and Ten ran back in the room grabbed her hand and pulled.

 

*

 

As they walked out of the retirement facility, the Doctor saw a group of school children on the playground across the way. Their teacher was trying to herd them into the castle that was close by, and not having much luck.

“Why would they leave?” Ten asked as he came to stand behind Eleven.

Eleven turned back to Rose and Ten. “One of my quirks in this body is sniffing out things that aren't what they seem, SO- come on let's think. The mechanics of this reality split. We're stuck. Time is slipping. Time matches exactly in our dream world unlike in conventional dreams.

“And you both are dreaming the same dream at the same time?”

“It's like a communal trance. Very rare, very complicated. But you know that. But my mind.... _my_   mind isn't working because _this village is soooooooooo dull_! I'm slowing down like you two have.”

“Oooof!” Rose cried out, clutching her belly frantically. “Ow, ow ow really? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It's coming! Ah! _It's coming_!”

Ten and Eleven both ran over to Rose.

“Help her,” Eleven said. “You're a Doctor!”

“You are too!”

Rose screamed again, this time louder.

“It's ok Rose, we're doctors,” Eleven said as he squatted down before her to catch the baby. “What do we do?”

Rose quit screaming and said with a straight face,“It's not coming.”

Eleven was flabbergasted. She _tricked him!_ “What? WHAT?”

A very hormonal Rose was in his face again. “This is my life now. And it turned you white as a sheet, so don't call it dull again. _Ever._ ”

“S-sorry.” He said genuinely, as he looked at his younger self who was stifling a giggle. Ten held up his hand and Rose high-fived him before she stomped off with her husband following.

Eleven was now not so sure which reality was which, and just an hour ago, he thought he knew. As he pondered his predicament, he spotted Mrs. Pocket heading for the castle that the children had gone in to. He began to follow her, but stopped when he saw Rose pouting on the swing set with Ten close by. He plopped down on the one beside her before his part human self could. “Now...we all know there's an elephant in the room.”

Rose shot him a look from hell. “I have to be this size, I'm _hav-ing_ a _baby_!”

“No. No. The hormones seem real, but no. I'm talking about Mrs. Pocket.” The Doctor pointed in the direction of her walking up the steps to the castle and then standing at the top, staring at the children. “I don't know about you...but I wouldn't hire Mrs. Pocket as a baby sitter. What is she doing? What does she want?”

But before they could figure it out, the birds were back. Ten came around the swing and knelt in front of her.

“Oh no not again.” Rose said and she clutched on to Ten. He tugged on her chin so she would look him in the eye.   
  
“Listen to me, Rose. This is real. I'm _real_. See?” He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her like it was the first and the last time. When their lips parted he was still so close she could feel his breath on her as he spoke. “Real. Me and you. As real as our baby is. I love you Rose.”

“I love-”

 

**

 

“-you.” Rose woke looking into the full Time Lord's eyes. She sat back and cleared her throat trying to look anywhere but at him. “Sorry,” Rose said awkwardly.

“It's ok,” the Doctor assured her.

“Bloody hell, it's gotten colder.” Rose was visibly shivering now. The Doctor pulled her close and snuggled her to him. “D-Doctor...”

“Yes, Rose?”

“I'm gonna go get that jumper now. Scratch that. A jumper _and_ a coat.” She pulled away to go grab one from her room but he grabbed her hand.

“I'll come with you.”

“Doctor...I'll be alright. 'S just down the hall, okay? It's not like I'm going to disappear.”

The Doctor released her hand and turned back towards the console, muttering, “That's what I'm afraid of.”

“What?”

The Doctor spun back around with a fake grin plastered on his face that she could see right through. “I said, don't take too long. We need to figure out what Mrs. Pocket is up to. Here, take this.” He tossed a torch at her, and Rose caught it one handed.

“Oh...ok. I'll just be a tic. Promise.” Rose turned the torch on and jogged up the stairs towards her room.

When Rose reached where it should be, the door wasn't there.

“That's odd.” Rose mumbled to herself.

“Not as odd as you being married to the Doctor. Hmmmm?”

Rose gasped and turned around, backing away from the Dream Lord.

“What do you want from me?” Rose said stiffly.

“You want the other life, don't you? The one where you're settled and happy with a Doctor that can grow old with you and never regenerate.”

“What I want is none of your business! And even if I did end up marrying some part human version of him...I doubt he'd want any of that. Carpets. A Mortgage,” her voice dropped as she whispered, “A baby.” Rose shrugged and walked away from the Dream Lord only have him to reappear before her again, making her stop in her tracks. “Why would he want to give up all this? Why would anyone?”

“How long have you been with the Doctor now?”

“I don't know...almost 6 years I guess.”

“Have you asked him why you don't look any older?”

“What kind of question is that?” Rose said angrily turning away from him and entered the first door she saw. It was a room that looked like it was occupied recently. There were bunk beds in the room, with a woman's and a man's belongings strewn about. There was a jumper on the lower bunk, so Rose grabbed it and the coat that was thrown on a chair.

As she turned to leave, she came face to face with the vanity mirror and startled. But then she thought about what the Dream Lord had said, and for the first time in what felt like ages, she looked at herself. Of course it was hard to really see with the torch being her only light source, but as she gazed at her reflection she did notice that she didn't look like she had aged all that much, if any. She thought long and hard about exactly how long she had been with him. Seemed like forever now. She almost forgot what her life was like now before him. And counting the days was no easy task, especially since time didn't really exist in the TARDIS. Maybe she just got her Grandma Prentiss's good genetics and just looked young despite growing older. Rose shoved the jumper over her head, and the thought disappeared as she spied a photo stuck to the mirror.

It was of a couple. A man and a woman in their mid to late twenties. They were happy and smiling and standing on an obviously alien planet, because the grass was purple. The woman had bright ginger hair (I bet the Doctor wanted to shave her head and make a wig out of it, Rose giggled to herself) and the man had sandy hair and a rather large nose, but was charming despite it. She noticed their wedding bands on their fingers. _Must be some more old companions. A married couple too! And he says he doesn't do domestic! HA!_ Rose figured the Doctor would be beside himself with worry by now, so she went to leave the room. As she left she spied two earflap hats, so she snatched them and shoved one on her head, and went to take the other to the Doctor. It seemed the Dream Lord had gotten bored of her, because he was nowhere to be seen. So Rose headed back to the console room. She stopped dead in her tracks when the Dream Lord's creepy laughter reverberated off the walls like an echo, taunting her. Rose covered her ears, and ran the rest of the way.

When she got back to the console room, Rose saw the Doctor winding this funny looking contraption that was actually made from kitchen appliances. Nothing really surprised her anymore, but even this was a little odd.

“What's that?” she asked as she tossed one of the hats at him. “Gonna make a souffle?”

“Rose! Good. You're back.” He shoved the contraption at her.” Here, wind this. I just need to hook this cable up to the monitor.”

Rose did as she was told. “What is this?”

“A generator.”

“Oh. Well, that explains the wine opener then.” Rose rolled her eyes and giggled. The Doctor smiled back widely at her, but it was short lived as the monitor came to life. The more he looked at it, the more he frowned.

“Doctor, where are we?”

“We're in trouble.” he replied as Rose stood next to him at the monitor. A bright white star appeared on the screen.

“What is that?”

“A cold star. This isn't a heating malfunction, Rose. We're drifting towards a cold sun. Not something you see every day.”

Rose looked up at him, holding back the tears that were forming in her eyes. “So....this is the dream then? There's no such thing as a cold star, is there Doctor? Stars burn.”

“So is this one. It's just burning cold.”

“How is that possible?”

“I don't know.”

“So this _is_ the dream then. It is isn't it?” Rose began to panic. “Doctor? Tell me this is real.” She grabbed him by the lapels of his tweed coat as she begged. “Please.”

The Doctor raised a hand, and cupped her face gently before saying quietly, “I can't.”

Rose's breath caught as she tried to choke back a sob. She gave up trying not to cry and let the tears fall. With one hand she began to map his face with her finger, memorizing every feature of this regeneration, before pressing her lips to his. The kiss quickly turned from chaste to desperate on both their parts, and it wasn't long before she was starting to remove his clothing, and him hers.

She started with his bow tie. She untied it with deft fingers, and whipped it off so fast the fabric made a snapping noise before she let it fall to the ground. Then she realized he was still wearing that ridiculous hat, so she snatched it, and threw it hard across the room. She pushed his blazer off his shoulders, as he kissed his way down her jaw. Rose hummed in pleasure as he lifted the hem of her jumper and shirt up. The hum turned into a moan as his hand grazed her skin as he removed the items from her person, leaving her in her bra. His lips returned to hers once more, teasing her bottom lip as he played with the waistband of her jeans, fiddling with the button, as Rose hastily began to undo the buttons on his shirt. When he got it open, his hands moved to her backside as he slid her trousers down. His fingers slid down her skin in the most delicious way as he pushed her jeans to the floor and allowed her to step out of them. His hands stayed firmly planted on her as he stood back up, sliding back where they started, on her bum.

Grasping her ass in both hands he dragged her body towards him so she could feel how very much he wanted her. Rose couldn't help it when her hips ground into his of their own accord. She was cold, standing there clad only in her knickers and bra but his stare heated her up at her very core. The Doctor quicklyundid the zip on his trousers, and let them fall to the floor. This version of him didn't like to wear pants, so Rose got a full look at how badly the Doctor wanted her. His cock visibly throbbed as he pulled her towards the jump seat, spinning her around, making her lean over it. Rose gasped at how quickly he was moving, but she didn't mind. She especially didn't mind when his fingers found her clit as he pushed aside her knickers and thrust into her for the first time.

He gave her a moment to adjust as his fingers rubbed circles on her. Rose swiveled her hips and gripped the jump seat as she rested one knee on it for better leverage. Her movement caused the Doctor to groan loudly and he grabbed her by the waist, pressing their bodies together as he began to thrust in and out of her. Rose reached around with one hand and grabbed his bum, trying her best to get even closer to him and to that spot that made her want to cry out his name. The Doctor gently bit her shoulder as he fucked her, marking her with his teeth.

His fingers trailed down to where they were joined, and he released her just enough so he could have a look too. “Gods you look beautiful,” he purred as he raised the hand to his mouth. The smell of Rose's arousal on him made him buck in to her more forcefully. That only made her groan even louder, spurring him on. He shoved his fingers into his mouth, and slowly pulled them out, so he could taste every bit of her on him. It was better than he had ever imagined and he closed his eyes to savor it.

He returned his hand to her clit, making Rose curse as she slammed into him, daring him to fuck her harder. The Doctor felt his need to fill her up building and he could tell Rose was nearing completion as well. In between moans, Rose cried out, “I want to see you!” He pulled out and sat on the jump seat waiting for Rose to take action. She took this moment to shed her knickers completely, and the Doctor licked his lips as he watched her strip. When she was done, Rose bit her lip, giving him a wicked grin as she slowly sunk down on to him. The action made his head roll back, his eyes squeezing shut as she rolled her hips some more. She lifted herself up, and sat herself down slowly once more, so he could feel himself slide in and out of every inch of her. The Doctor claimed her bottom lip once more, biting it, moaning into her mouth.

Slowly Rose began to pick up the pace as they kissed, her slick heat driving him to the edge. Her hands tangled in his hair, her breathing became more shallow as she rode him faster and faster. She smothered a cry with his lips as her orgasm overtook her, dragging him over with her. They kept grinding as wave after wave of pleasure flooded her senses, milking every drop of his seed from him. The Doctor peppered tiny kisses all over her face, lips, and neck, as they reveled in the afterglow of their love making, but then he suddenly stilled. Confused, Rose opened her eyes and looked at him. He was staring at the monitor solemnly.   
  
“We only have 40 minutes.” He said, his voice low.

“Of this?” Rose purred, trying to regain the mood as she ground into him one more time. It made him curse in the most spectacular way.

“No, unfortunately, not this....” He replied and signaled for her to get up, but Rose didn't budge. He was breathing heavily still, and it was so cold now in the TARDIS she could see it.

“Then what?

“Till we crash into that star out there. I'm sorry Rose.”

She looked at him, eyes wide but there was no fear there. “Well what are we going to do?”

“Stay calm. Don't get sucked into it.” He took her hand as he spoke his next words. “Because this may be the battle we have to lose.” He kissed her hand as she slid off of him, and they both stood up.

“Well well....things just got even more interesting.” The Dream Lord spoke from across the console. The two jumped in surprise at the company. The Doctor shoved Rose behind him, but didn't bother covering himself up. “Been a bit busy, have we?” The Dream Lord cackled as he waggled his eyebrows. “There was an old Doctor from Gallifrey, who ended up shagging his life away. He let down his love, and-” The birds interrupted as their song began once more. “Oh no! We've run out of time. Don't spend too long there, or you'll” he pointed to their state of undress, “umm....catch your death here.”

 

 


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose, Tentoo and Eleven discover that aliens are inhabiting the bodies of all the elders in Leadworth, and back on the TARDIS the Doctor and Rose have differing opinions on which world is reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!The edits on this chapter were minimal! So two updates in a row!! Yippee! Thanks again for leaving kudos and/or commenting! I really appreciate it. Only one part left after this one!

Eleven ran up the ramp towards the castle, sonic in hand. “Where have the children gone?”

“Dunno, playtime's probably over.” Ten replied as the Eleventh Doctor began to sonic everything in the immediate area. Ten turned to Rose, seizing the opportunity to find out more about their predicament. “See Rose? This is the real one. Don't you feel it? I feel it.” Rose blushed furiously.

“I feel it both places really.” She rubbed her belly as the baby inside her kicked. It was weird how when she was here it all felt so real. The baby. Her Doctor. The way he looked at her. The way he kissed her. It all felt so real to her. And then in the TARDIS. That felt real too. Very real. It was like she was being torn between the two versions of himself. Because when she was in Leadworth, she felt that she was really truly in love with this part human version of the Doctor. She loved their life, even if it was dull most days. She didn't mind saying goodbye to Torchwood and all the crazy things that happened to her on a daily basis or the danger. Not really. Ok, she did mind. It was because everything was so still here. So still it was almost creepy. And when she was back in the TARDIS, her passion for the Eleventh Doctor was overwhelming. She could feel it down into her very bones how much she loved him. She ached for him. But looking at him now- it was different. Like she still loved him, but she _loved_ Ten.

Rose noticed that while she was stuck in her own head her Doctor had kept talking, so she tuned in. “It's just so tranquil here, don't you think?” he was saying.

“A little too much,” Rose answered.

“I like it.”

“Do you though? Would you really be happy settling down in a place with a pub and two shops?” Rose looked towards Eleven and saw him playing in the dirt. “Doctor, what are you doing? And what are those piles of dust?”

Eleven's voice was solemn as he rose from the ground. “Play time is definitely over.”

Rose gasped. “Oh my God!” She exclaimed as she looked from dust pile to dust pile, realizing what they all were. “What happened to them?” The three heard the crunching of gravel nearby and they all turned to look. It seemed all the elders of the community were gathering in front of the retirement facility. They scrambled behind a low wall on the castle grounds so they could look at the group without being seen.

“I think they did,” Eleven said swallowing hard.

“But they're just old people.” Rose said.

“No. They're _very_ old people.” Ten chimed in. “Why didn't I see this before? God, I'm so thick! This place _is_ slowing me down!”

“And I don't think you'll want to be keeping them alive,” Eleven suggested as he marched down the ramp towards the group seeing that the Dream Lord had appeared again and wasn't standing far away.

“Oh peasants! What's this? Attack of the old people? Oh that's ridiculous! This has got to be the dream hasn't it? What do you think Rose?” The Dream Lord asked. “Let's all jump under a bus and end up back in the TARDIS.”

“Leave her alone,” The part human Doctor threatened, stepping in front of Rose essentially blocking her from the Dream Lord.

His threat did not phase the Dream Lord in the least. It just amused him. “Do that again. I love it when he does that. Tall dark hero- _Leave her alone!”_

“I suggest you do just that or you will have more than one me to deal with.” Eleven added, his eyes dark.

He walked around the group, towards Rose as he spoke. “Awww...isn't that sweet? Not quite as impressive, but I know where your heart lies, isn't that right Rose Tyler?”

“Shut up. Just shut up and leave me alone.”

“Listen. You're in there. Loves a blonde, our naughty Doctor. Remember Reinette?

“Drop it,” Eleven interrupted. “Drop all of it. I know who you are.”  
  
“Course you don't.”

“Course I do,” The Eleventh spoke fast. “We both do, me and him. No idea how you can be here, there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do.”

The Dream Lord's lip curled into a smirk that the Tenth Doctor wanted to slap right off his face. “Never mind me,” the Dream Lord taunted. “Maybe you should worry about them.” The Dream Lord disappeared leaving them standing around wondering what he meant. But then they heard the movement. The movement of dozens of elderly people with canes and walkers, heading right for them.

“Um...Hi.” Ten called out to them with a nervous type of chuckle.

“Hello!” Rose said right after her husband.

The Eleventh Doctor put on his most jovial grin. “Hello! We were wondering where you went! Looks like you went and got reinforcements. Are you all right? You look a bit tense...”

“Hello Mr. Naby.” Ten said, smiling at an older gentleman that he knew.

“Not Now.” Eleven whispered to him loudly.

“But Mr. Naby owns the sweet shop. He'll slip me the odd free banana truffle every now and then.” Mr. Naby had grabbed Ten by the shirt collar and was lifting him up off the ground. “Did I not say thank you? That's me, rude and not ginger!” Mr. Naby tossed the part human Doctor over 5 feet away, like it was nothing. Rose screeched as her husband hit the ground with a hard thud, but he was uninjured. When he stood, brushing himself off he shouted, “ _How did he do that?_ ”

“I suspect he's not himself.” Eleven reminded him simply. “Get ready Rose, we may have to run.”

“Oh come on, ” Rose complained. “Can't you just talk to them?” As soon as the words left her mouth Mrs. Pocket opened hers. A strange sort of eyeball appeared, and it sat there, looking at them. Rose thought she might throw up. “Is that an eye in her mouth?”

“There's a whole creature inside her, inside all of them. They've been there for years.”  
  
“Sorry, That is disgusting,” Rose gagged, trying to not let the could-be-fake pregnancy hormones drive her. “How could you not notice this?” She asked her husband.

“I don't have a sonic anymore do I?” He quipped. Mrs. Not-Pocket used their conversation to her advantage and shot a green gas at them from out of the eye in her mouth. Eleven shoved the two out of the way of the gas just in time, knowing the gas was probably lethal to humans. Rose gasped trying to catch her breath. Her husband pulled her close, putting his arm around her protectively, and shot Mrs. Pocket a look from hell as he began to lead Rose away from the group and the Doctor.

“Leave them!” Eleven shouted, his hands in front of him keeping the aliens off at a distance. “Talk to me, please. Talk to me! You are Ednodines, a proud ancient race. You're better than this! Why are you hiding away here? Why aren't you at home?”

Mrs. Pocket's voice changed to something not of this world. “We were driven from our planet.”

“So you've been living inside the bodies of old humans for years. No wonder they've lived so long, you're keeping them alive.”

“We were humbled and destroyed and now we will do the same to others!” Mrs. Not-Pocket said.

“Ok, makes sense, I suppose.” Eleven began to back away slowly still muttering under his breath, “Sounds credible enough. Could be real.”

A bicyclist carrying the morning paper walked up to the group. “Morning!” he said to everyone. It was the last thing he ever did, because Mrs. Not-Pocket drenched the poor man with the gas from her inner eye, turning him to dust. The part human Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and tugged, urging her to run.

Eleven turned back to Mrs. Not-Pocket and stared her down. “You need to leave this planet.”

 

**

 

The part human Doctor and Rose were running back for their cottage hand in hand.

“Can we...slow...down a bit....yeah?” Rose panted.

“You'd think after everything I have done for the people over seventy in this village,” Ten mumbled.

Rose stopped when she saw an old woman walking slowly towards them and grabbed the Doctor's arm.

“Ok, this is crazy. She loves me Rose. I fixed her depression!” Rose didn't look convinced. “She's just a little old lady,” he assured her.

“Mrs. Hamill, we don't understand-” Rose began, but Mrs. Hamill began to screech, and the eyeball rose from her mouth as she did. Rose took a defensive stance, but her husband stood in front of her.

“I'll take care of this one!” the Doctor exclaimed, but Mrs. Hamill released the green gas making the part human Doctor and Rose back away like lightening. Ten picked up a fallen piece of lumber, and made to hit her with it, but he was having trouble doing so. “I can't!”

“Whack her!” Rose cried, and the part human Doctor thought about it a moment more. When she advanced on them again though he acted. Mrs. Hamill went down like a sack of potatoes.

“I'm so sorry.” Ten said over her, before tossing down the board and following Rose.

Mrs. Hamill wasn't down long though. When the Doctor and Rose entered their home, Mrs. Hamill got back up without any problem, and followed them.

Rose collapsed on the stairs when they entered, as Ten quickly bolted the door and began to dash around looking for furniture to use as a barricade. “Help me Rose!” Ten shouted, as he grabbed a table from the sitting room. But Rose stayed on the stairs staring straight ahead.

“We just abandoned him,” she said quietly.“We don't see him for years, and it's weird how he gets here, and it's weird how he acts with us, and then we just abandon him!

Ten sighs and gives his wife a defeated look while holding the small table over his head. “He'll be fine, Rose. Remember? He's me.”

The Doctor however, was not fine. He was currently trying to find a safe place to crash as the birds had started singing, and he was fading fast. He ran for the first shop he came to; the Butcher's. But the shopkeeper was the Dream Lord himself. The Doctor put the closed sign up and made for the back door.  
  
“I love a good Butcher's, don't you?” the Dream Lord taunted. “We've got to use these places or they'll shut down! Oh...but you're probably a vegetarian aren't you, you big flop head wuss.”

“Oh pipe down, I'm busy!” Eleven shouted back, as he tried to get the key in the door and failed.

“Maybe you need a little sleep,” he said as the Doctor slid down the door to the floor, struggling to keep his eyes open. “Oh but if you fall asleep here, several dozen angry pensioners will destroy you with their horrible eye thingies.” The Doctor shoved his fingers in his ears as he went around the counter and to another part of the shop, where the freezer was. The Dream Lord followed him. “Oh, fingers in the ears! Brilliant! What's next? Shouting boo?” The Dream Lord cackled at his joke, and began to wave in the elders that were at the door of the shop. “Come in! Come in! Yes we've got lots of steak here this week! Lots at stake! Get it?” The Doctor was back on the ground with his eyes closed. They popped back open and the Doctor gasped and stood up going for the freezer again. “These jokes are just wasted on you.” The Doctor couldn't keep himself awake. He grabbed the freezer door handle, but couldn't get it open. 

“Wait! Just wait!” he cried, but the Dream Lord didn't listen of course, and the old people came closer and closer as the birds got louder and louder. “Stop! Stop!”

“Oh dear, I can't watch.” The Dream Lord said sarcastically. The Doctor finally got the freezer door open at the last minute, and shut himself inside, sonicing it shut, just as he passed out completely.

 

**

 

The Doctor and Rose sat up in the TARDIS, shivering violently, and still mostly naked. They both scrambled for their clothes as the Doctor spoke. “We have to decide which one is the dream right now.”

“It's got to be this one, right?” Rose said quietly as she shoved her jumper back on as fast as humanly possible. The Doctor looked at her like she just kicked a puppy. “I mean burning ice? The science it's all wrong here. And me and you? I mean...it's great and all, but how did we get---?”

The Doctor interrupted her. “No no no....Ice can burn, Rose. It's a big universe. We have to agree which battle to lose. Both of us. _Now_.”

“Ok then, which one do you think is real?” Rose asked honestly, holding out her hand for his, and he grabbed it and held on tightly.

“This one.” He said it without question, without hesitation. It made Rose want to cry. The look he gave her when he said it, told her he believed it in both his hearts and his soul.

“But what about the other you? He's real too!” Rose challenged, trying not to hurt his feelings at the same time. It did though.

The Doctor looked at his watch.“Nine minutes till impact,” he mumbled and walked away from her, letting her hand fall to her side.

“Doctor... please just think about it...”

The Doctor turned and stared at her hard with tears burning in his eyes. “I can't lose you again! Not you!” His fists were balled up at his sides, and they were turning white from frustration. He was also visibly shaking, but not from the cold. Rose could see his breath as he breathed hard and fast as he stared at her. She felt like his stare could see right into her very being. Before she knew it he took two long strides towards her, and his lips descended upon hers in a passionate kiss that ended all too soon. When his lips pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers, squeezing his eyes shut, as his hands stayed on both sides of her face. She could feel his cold breath on her cheek, and Rose remembered what was happening.

“Are we going to die?” Rose whispered to him, pulling back just enough to see him answer.

The Doctor pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “No. We're not. But if we fall asleep here, we're in trouble.” He let go of her then and turned back to the monitor and looked at the star they were about to collide with. “I wish other me wasn't falling asleep like us, because then we could essentially divide up and have an active presence in each world.” The Doctor began to pace as he talked, and the Dream Lord appeared beside him.

“Yes, let's divide you up so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion. Tell you what, I'll bring the faulty version of you over here and I'll keep her for all eternity should you manage to clamor aboard some version of reality. How does that sound?”

The Doctor grabbed onto Rose's arm. “Can you hear that?” he asked her. The birds were beginning to sing their song again.

“What? No...” Rose turned around, trying to hear what the Doctor was hearing. This time it was only the Doctor hearing the song.

“Rose, don't be scared now.” The Doctor grabbed her arm again, but this time tightly and started to pull her down with him to the floor as she tried to hold him up. “I'll be back. I promise.”

“Don't leave me,” Rose begged, but the Doctor was already unconscious in her arms.

“Don't worry Rose,” the Dream Lord cackled. “We're going to have fun.”

 

 


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So which one is the dream and which one is reality? The Doctor and Rose have to decide quickly, before they die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Character Death
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading this and leaving kudos here and comments in my ask box on tumblr. I appreciate it! Feel free to give me a follow on that site for more Doctor/Rose goodness. Thanks again to Jesse for being an awesome beta, as always.

The part human Doctor woke suddenly beside Rose on the staircase, hearing a loud banging and crashing coming from the front room of their house. He got up and looked, seeing the elderly people trying to get in through the front windows. Glass was flying everywhere. “Rose, get upstairs now!” He shouted spinning on his heels to face his wife. But she was still unconscious. The Doctor rushed to her, kneeling down. “Rose? Rose? Wake up love. It's time to wake up.” Another crash from the living room that didn't stir her told him she was not going to be waking up any time soon. “Sorry about this,” he said to her quickly as he went behind her and roughly pulled her up the stairs. When he finally had her upstairs he took her into the nursery, laying her down gently on the floor. He quickly shut the door and locked it behind him, leaning against the door frame catching his breath. Seeing Rose, unconscious there on the floor scared him more than anything. He had no idea what was happening to her, and there was never enough time to get a straight answer out of either her or the Doctor. The only thing he could figure is that the reason he wasn't on the TARDIS with her now was because the TARDIS didn't like it when two of him occupied the same space at the same time, even if he was a biological metacrisis. But why he woke up now, and not her too- It troubled him deeply. He wracked his brain for possible answers as he crossed over to the tiny crib they had set up in the room. He spun the mobile that dangled from it. He had crafted it himself after some of his favorite stars and planets that he had taken Rose before they had ended up in Pete's World. The part human Doctor heard movement from outside the window, and looked out it. They had found the TARDIS. Currently three of the elderly people were surrounding his ship. The Doctor clenched his fists and started to come up with a plan.

Meanwhile, Eleven woke up in the freezer at the butchers. At first it was dead quiet, and he thought for just a moment that maybe, they had gone. But no. The aliens that had taken residence in the elder's bodies began to screech an unearthly sound to frighten him. He found a setting on the sonic that would momentarily deter them so he could make his escape. When he was back outside, he found an old Volkswagon bus, and jumped in. Luckily the keys were still inside, not that he needed them since he had his sonic. He began to drive to Rose and his part human counterpart's home.

 

**

Rose stared at the Doctor, unconscious on the metal floor of the TARDIS. The Dream Lord sat beside her, continuing his evil taunting.

“Poor Rose...he always leaves you doesn't he? Or sends you away. Always insinuating but never actually saying those three little words- I love you.”

“It doesn't need saying.” Rose shot back at him, she had turned her eyes as hard as steel, but inside she didn't feel like she could handle the situation for much longer.

“Good...Good. Because _he_ never will. Not this him at any rate. And now he's gone and left you with me. Spooky, old, not-to-be-trusted me.” The Dream Lord disappeared from sitting on the stairs and reappeared on the jump seat. “Anything could happen.”

Rose stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest protectively. “Who are you? And what do you want? The Doctor knows you. Both of them do, but they aren't telling me. Sometimes it takes him a bit, but he always opens up in the end.” She leaned closer, her voice now a vicious whisper. “So you're something different.”

The Dream Lord stared her down. “Oh, is that who you think you are? The one he trusts? The only girl in the universe that the Doctor tells _everything_?”

“Yes.” Rose practically hissed at him.

The Dream Lord looked at her curiously. “So what's his name?” But before Rose could retort he disappeared, only to reappear over the Doctor's sleeping form. A snap of his fingers turned on the monitor, showing her the part human Doctor holed up in the nursery of their cottage with her unconscious body. He looked like he wanted to do something but he didn't want to leave her there alone, so he stayed, sitting in a chair in front of the door, keeping watch over her body while she slept. “Now, which one of these men would you really choose? Look at him,” he said gesturing to the Doctor on the screen. “He's the same man, but also not. Sure he has the same thoughts, and the same memories, but is he really worth loving and losing the Doctor?”

“ _Stop it.”_ Rose spat.

“Pick a world and this nightmare will all soon be over. They'll listen to you. You're who they're waiting for. Rose's Men. Rose's Choice.” And with that the Dream Lord disappeared leaving Rose completely alone on the freezing TARDIS. She laid down beside the sleeping Doctor, and took his hand in hers, before she snuggled up to him, trying to keep them both warm until he woke, but instead she fell asleep.

 

**

 

The Doctor was driving thru Leadworth at top speed when the Dream Lord appeared in the van's rearview mirror.

“It's make your mind up time. In both worlds.” The Dream Lord teased.

“Fine,” the Doctor answered curtly keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “I need to find my friends.”

“Friends? Is that the right word for them? You claim to care about Rose, but yet you left her with a faulty version of yourself, because you couldn't handle her growing old beside you. She jumped through world after world searching for you to tell you about the stars going out and what's her thanks? You dumped her off there- again! And you swore you never would. Not to _her.”_

If Eleven could have shot actual daggers at him just by looking at the Dream Lord via the rear view mirror he would have. When the Dream Lord got the reaction he wanted, he disappeared, leaving the Eleventh alone, looking for the cottage. He knew he was there when he saw a line of old people, slowly walking, one with a chainsaw, towards a house. The Doctor parked and watched for a moment as they were smashing the house to bits trying to get in before he made his move.

Upstairs, the part human Doctor had pulled Rose into his lap and was running his hand through her hair, thinking about just how lucky he was to have this chance at a life with her, and how _he_ had essentially ruined it by landing in their garden. It was so hard not to be jealous of himself. He knew Rose still loved him. The other him. And he didn't blame her for it since he always made it clear to her they were both the same man. It was just damn irritating that he literally had no clue what was happening to her on the other side of this dream game they were stuck in. He hoped it wasn't as terrifying as it was on this side at least. He was never really afraid of anything until he became part human. Death was final now. And it scared him. Scared him in a way nothing ever did before. Knowing that he was going to die one day and never regenerate made this life that much more precious. And he wasn't going to take a second of it for granted. He and Rose were having a baby. A beautiful baby. With her eyes and his hair...

Rose gasped as she woke suddenly, sitting up straight away, knocking Ten out of his daydream.

“How did I get up here?”

“I carried you.”

Rose scanned the room frantically.“Where's the Doctor? Is he ok? Oh god- where is he?” She practically screamed as she latched on to her husband's shirt.

“I don't know.” Ten tried to pull her to him so he could comfort her, but she refused, pushing him away.

Suddenly a noise came from the window, and their heads whipped towards the sound. It was Eleven climbing inside. “Sorry, got caught up at the butcher's!” He said with a laugh, as Rose stood and rushed to him pulling him the rest of the way inside. When he was on his feet she was in his arms, clutching him to her. It was a bit awkward with the baby bump there, but she still managed. “Are you ok?” he whispered into her hair. Rose nodded without saying anything, and continued to hug him. He let her.

“What are we going to do?” Ten asked, feeling like he was very much the third wheel now. Eleven looked at him, and they stared at each other for a moment.

“I don't know.” Eleven said simply. “I thought the freezing TARDIS was real....but now...I'm not so sure.” Rose pulled away from him, as his words sunk in and she looked up at him. He was trying to look away from her, but he couldn't, and he finally settled, staring back into her big whiskey brown eyes. He looked sad. Sadder than she had ever seen him. The part human Doctor turned away then, letting them have their moment. The Doctor's hand reached out and cupped Rose's face, his thumb caressing her cheek as a stray tear fell on it. He mouthed “I'm sorry” to her as she turned into his touch placing a light kiss into his palm. The banging on the house continued to get louder, making the three companions turn towards the sound.

“Why are they so desperate to kill us?” Ten shouted.

“They're scared. Fear generates savagery.” Eleven quipped as a garden gnome flew through the window on the other side of the room, flinging glass everywhere. Eleven attempted to shield Rose, as Ten went to look out the window.

Mrs. Not-Pocket was there with her eyeball mouth thing at the ready and sprayed the green gas as soon as he came into view, right onto his single human heart.

“No!” Ten shouted, stumbling backwards, clutching his chest as he ran in to the dresser. The pain was excruciating. He slid down to the floor. “No no no no no...” he repeated over and over, as Rose rushed to kneel beside him. Eleven grabbed a lamp and ran at the window, knocking Mrs. Not-Pocket off the roof and to the ground. When he turned back to the part human Doctor and Rose, he saw the damage, and could only watch. There was nothing he could do. It broke his hearts.

Ten was breathing heavily, gasping for air and holding onto Rose's hand tightly. Tears were streaming down his face, and Rose was openly sobbing.

“I..I'm not ready...” Ten said, staring at only Rose. His arm was already beginning to turn to dust, and Eleven watched as the ashes fell quickly. Rose kissed him lightly on the lips as she held onto his hand. “Look after our baby.”

And then he was gone.

A pile of dust on the floor.

Rose stared. Not believing any of what was happening. “No,” she whispered. “Come back.” Rose looked down at the ashes of her husband that were in her hand. She clutched them to her as she looked up at the only Doctor left. “Save him,” she implored.

The Doctor answered her softly. “I can't. I'm sorry, Rose.”

“Then what good are you?” Rose retorted coldly, grabbing a jar off the dresser and letting the ashes that were still in her hand fall in it. She stood and crossed to the Doctor, a woman now on a mission. “This is the dream,” she said matter of factly. “Definitely this one. If we die here, we wake up...yeah?”

The Doctor nodded. “Unless...we just die.”

“No. This is the dream!” Rose cried, her voice cracking as she shouted.

The Doctor was concerned. “How do you know?”

“Because if this is real..I don't want it. I don't want _any_ of it.” And with that, Rose walked away and down the stairs.

Amazingly, they both made it down the stairs and out of the house without being attacked.

“Why aren't they attacking?” Rose shouted as she walked past one of the elderly.

“Either this is the dream, or they know what we're about to do.” The Doctor said quickly trying to keep up with her.

Rose walked up to the van, but she stopped and turned, hand out, waiting for the keys.   
  
“Are you sure? This could be the real world,” The Doctor said nervously.

Rose choked back a sob. “It _can't_ be. He isn't here.” Rose's body was wracked with sorrow once more. She covered her mouth to try and quell the tears. When she dropped her hand she was looking at the ground. “I didn't know. I honestly didn't till right now.” She didn't look at him until she said her next words. “I just want him.”

The Doctor cupped Rose's face as she cried, and he nodded, acknowledging her decision as he handed her the keys. Rose gripped them tightly, and he covered her hand with his. “Ok,” he said softly, and she turned and got in the van. When the Doctor walked around to his side, the Dream Lord was there. The Doctor said nothing, ignoring him, and got in the passenger side.

When he shut the door, Rose looked at him.   
  
“I loved him... And no matter how many times he tried to tell me you were the same man...well...you're not. And now he's gone.”

She revved the engine, and threw the van into gear, pedal to the floor. Rose jerked the wheel, crashing through the fence, and driving fast towards her house. It wasn't long before the world went black.

 

******

 

The entire TARDIS was covered in a layer of ice when the Doctor and Rose woke. They weren't spared either. Rose silently gazed at the Doctor's coated white face as he looked at her sadly. She renewed her grip on his hand that she was still holding.

“So...you chose this world,” the voice of the Dream Lord echoed thoughout the console room, as he entered. “Well done, you got it right. And with only seconds left! Fair's fair,” the Dream Lord said as he started pushing a few buttons on the console, and then turning a knob before throwing a lever. The TARDIS began to back away from the cold star. “Let's warm you up.”

The lights in the TARDIS turned back on, and Rose and the Doctor sat up as the Dream Lord continued his speech. He walked around the console towards them as he spoke.“I hope you enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination, Doctor, so I'll leave you to ponder that. I have been defeated. I shall withdrawal. Farewell.” The Dream Lord smiled at them both and then disappeared.

Rose looked towards the Doctor with a small smile, and then leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly. He lifted her off the ground feet dangling in the air, and he spun her once, making her laugh before he set her back down. Rose was grinning widely at him now, a look of relief was written all over her face. She was just so beautiful when she was happy. It warmed his still freezing body tremendously. It was nice that he could see her smile this last time, because he couldn't smile back.

The Doctor walked over to the time rotor, and began a sequence.

“So, what're we doing now?” Rose asked with a spring in her step.

“Well...me...I'm blowing up the TARDIS.”

“ _What_?” Rose shrieked. “Are you mad? Has the cold made you lose your mind?” She followed him around the console as he continued to push buttons, spin them, and push and pull levers and button after button.

“Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was. There was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and even a limerick...but he was always very keen on making us choose between dream and reality.” The Doctor pushed one final button, and the TARDIS began to shake violently, and glowed red. He grabbed on to the console, laughing loudly as he stared at the time rotor as it began to move.

“Doctor! This isn't the dream!' Rose shouted grabbing on to him, making him look at her. When his eyes looked into hers, all other sound ceased to exist except his voice.

“Yes it is,” he said calmly, looking at her with those sad old eyes again. “The Dream Lord has no power over the real world, Rose. He was offering us a choice between two dreams.” His hand reached for hers once more, entwining their fingers together. Still a perfect fit, even in this body.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know who he is...and because you haven't been here in a very long time. I just didn't want to believe it.” The Doctor reached over with his free hand for a joystick that was on the console and gripped it tightly, trying very hard not to jerk it as he spoke quickly to Rose. “And I suppose...if it's my last chance to say it...”

“No!” Rose cried.

The TARDIS lurched as the Doctor tried to finish the sentence again, but his finger hit the button too soon.“Rose Tyler...”

The world went black again.

 

**

 

The Doctor was standing at the console, gazing at something in his hand, when Amy and Rory bounded down the stairs to him.   
  
“Good morning! Where are we going now, Doctor?” Amy asked as she sidled up to him when he didn't answer her. “What's that?”

The Doctor showed her what was in his hand. “A speck of psychic pollen from the meadows of Krastonslava.” He began to walk towards the TARDIS doors. “Must have been hanging around for ages. Made my imagination play tricks on me. Put me into a very intense dream state.” He opened the doors and stuck his hand out, letting the pollen fly off of it and out into space. He shut the doors again and turned back to his current companions.

“What kind of tricks?” Amy asked.

“Made me believe things, and do stuff that wasn't real. That's all. It was a dream Amy. That's what dreams do.” The Doctor said finished with the conversation.

“Well, then why didn't it put us in one too? One of those dream state things?” Rory asked.

“Because you've never been to Krastonslava.” The Doctor answered as he climbed back up to the time rotor. “It would have starved to death. I would explain the science, but it would probably bore you.”

“Sooooo...if you weren't with us, who _were_ you with?” Amy prodded. The Doctor avoided her gaze, and began to set their next destination.

“An old friend.” The Doctor answered, his voice gentle and quiet. “More than an old friend really...” He continued his fiddling with the time rotor, and not looking his companions.

“Ooooooo....it's a she!” Amy cackled clapping her hands joyfully, ready for some juicy gossip. “What's her name?” She grinned at the Doctor with her eyes wide and expectant.

“Stop it Amy. He obviously doesn't want to talk about it.” Rory said. But surprisingly, the Doctor spun around and looked Amy right in the eye. For a moment, he said nothing. He then started to say something, but stopped again, and turned back to the time rotor.

“What? Did you forget her name?” Amy asked, pouting as she crossed her arms, and leaned against the console.

The Doctor looked up at her then. “Couldn't if I tried.”

“Then who was she?” Amy pressed.

The Doctor smiled at Amy as he answered, “The love of my lives.”

 

 

END

 

 

 


End file.
